Agenda item

Joanna Copping and Filiz Altinoluk-Davis gave a presentation on this issue and made the following points:

·       Key elements of this were the Health and Well Being Board Strategy, One City Plan, HIV Fast Track City (with a target to end HIV in the city by 2050) and SHIP HIT (the Sexual Health Improvement Programme)

·       The specialist sexual health services were commissioned and included pregnancy termination services as well as HIV treatment

·       Unity sexual health services provided coils and implants, emergency contraceptives, condoms and chlamydia screening

·       Details of the services provided were set out

·       The Needs Assessment provided data from providers with approximately 650 responses and 26 stakeholder interviews

·       Following a considerable reduction in face to face consultations in 2020 and guidance concerning early abortions had changed

·       Testing for STIs and HIV had peaked following the introduction of postal kits but had since dropped off. Slightly over half test kits between October 2021 and September 2022 had been returned

·       The number of HIV tests for women had been particularly low

·       New STI’s had not reached pre-COVID levels. HIV new diagnoses continued to fall and around 50% were undiagnosed HIV

·       Gonorrhea cases had now increased throughout the country. There had been a significant increase in Bristol between January 2022 and January 2023

·       There were inequalities in STI diagnoses in age and gender

·       There was a concern relating to access to condoms and ensuring their correct use. It was important to spread the message and ensure better access

·       There were inequalities in ethnicity with black populations being 2.5 more times affected nationally and it was likely that there was a big gap in Bristol. This was likely to be as a result of socio-economic factors

·       The numbers of late HIV diagnoses had increased

·       The number of 15 to 24 year olds who had national chlamydia screening had increased and there was a need for access to free condoms

·       Coli and Implant Activity – there was a general recovery post COVID but further improvement was required. There was a need for increased training for nurses

·       The number of teenage conceptions remained low but there was significant variation at ward level

·       Termination pregnancy rates remained low with postal medication for abortion brought in as law

·       There was currently a reprocuring process for the reintegration of the sexual and reproductive health service with the current contract ending in March 2025. Details of the re-procurement process were set out

In response to members’ questions, they gave the following responses:

·       The women’s chapter JSNA was cross referenced in the re-procurement process

·       A piece of work concerning engagement had already taken place and a consultation group was considering feasibility options. Public input had been obtained through the survey. However, it was sometimes difficult to get people to come forward.

·       Work was also now taking place with colleagues to meet the needs of those aged 8 to 10. There was also work to address those people with mental health and anxiety issues concerning certain factors such as condom use. SIRONA was working with us to address these issues in various ways such as through apps. School nurses also helped with the most vulnerable children

·       Sex education needed to address difficulties caused by young people’s access to pornography

·       Following lobbying with clinical Cabinet, NBT and UHBT were starting to provide support for children’s needs in this area. It was considered likely that funding would be obtained locally to help meet the HIV target

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